One of the most unique architectural competitions in Southern California enters its second year with three finalists chosen to build temporary structures called sukkahs in Encinitas.
Since biblical times, Jewish families have built sukkahs during the weeklong harvest festival of Sukkot. It is customary, within the temporary walls of the sukkah, to share meals, entertain and rejoice.
The three finalists are Herencia Del Rico and Max Magac, students of the New School of Architecture in San Diego; Yoshi Silverstein, founder and lead designer-educator of Mitsui Design, based in Washington; and Chris and Sasha Varone, a husband and wife architecture team based in San Diego.
Volunteers will build each of the three designs on Oct. 5, and people attending the Sukkot at the Ranch Festival on Oct. 12 will choose the winner. The winning design will receive a $3,600 prize.
Judges chose the designs from a pool of 17 submissions from California, New York and Washington.
A sukkah is required to adhere to the following guidelines: The structure must be temporary; it must have at least 2 1/2 walls; it must be big enough to contain a table and most of a person’s body; and it must have a roof made of shade-providing organic materials through which a person can see the stars.
The competition and event are sponsored by the Leichtag Foundation, which purchased the former Ecke Ranch property in 2012 to create a cultural and community resource for the San Diego region and the Jewish community.
